New Walmart nears opening in Wawarsing

NAPANOCH — The sign in the vestibule of the new Walmart on Route 209 says it all:

BY JEREMIAH HORRIGAN

NAPANOCH — The sign in the vestibule of the new Walmart on Route 209 says it all:

"14 Days."

The long-awaited, much-hoped-for and much-reviled superstore will officially open its doors on Oct. 16. It's a day Jeremy Peters has been planning for and trying to stay positive about for some time now.

It's also one Bella Volchik, has been planning for, for very different reasons than Peters.

Peters is the co-owner, with his parents, of Peters Market, less than a mile from Walmart. Volchik is the co-owner of Russki on the Hudson, a liquor store located in a new mini-mall directly across from Walmart.

The Peters family has outlived every competitive challenge that's come their way for more than 40 years. But Walmart will be the medium-size grocery's greatest challenge.

As Peters began outlining those challenges Wednesday afternoon, customer Charles Yetzer joined the conversation.

"For clothes and stuff like that, I'll go to Walmart. But for food, there's no place like right here."

Peters beamed with appreciation and continued talking about the his plans to emphasize fresh and organic goods. And to hope for continued customer loyalty like Yetzer's.

Volchik is probably the community's biggest Walmart booster. But her decision to relocate in the giant's shadow has cost her in more ways than one. New road construction for Walmart has cut into business enough that her business partner, Tony Zlatkin, had to take a job working nights at Walmart at $7.75 an hour to help make ends meet.

"And I would do it all over again," she said Wednesday. "I'm very, very satisfied. Most people working at Walmart know it's not a career. They're working second jobs like Tony, because this is the American reality."

Volchik said she's had to borrow money for the next two weeks, business has been so bad.

"But when it (Walmart) opens, I'm confident things will get better — much better."